NBA All-Star 2022: G League Ignite Players to Join Rising Stars Challenge

The NBA has announced the rosters for the 2022 Clorox Rising Stars Challenge on Tuesday, and it will feature three games between four teams of rookies, sophomores, and, for the first time, it will feature players from G League Ignite.

Four of the league's top prospects playing for the Ignite include Jaden Hardy, Dyson Daniels, Scoot Henderson, and Marjon Beauchamp, ESPN reported.

The four joined 12 players from each of the 2020 and 2021 NBA draft classes to make up the 28 players participating in the league's annual showcase.

Beauchamp (14th overall), Daniels (16th), and Hardy (17th) are all projected to go in the top 20 of this year's NBA draft. Henderson is also projected to go second overall in the 2023 NBA draft.

In the first year of the Ignite program, all four prospects were part of the league's effort to have some of the best future prospects skip college basketball and ply their trades in the G League for a season, as Jalen Green, the Houston Rockets' second-round pick in the 2021 draft, did in his first year.

NBA's Rising Star Challenge Explained

Over the last few seasons, the format changed from a matchup between the league's best rookies and sophomores to a matchup with players divided into two teams by nationality: USA vs. World.

As a homage to the league celebrating its 75th anniversary, the Rising Stars Challenge will have a new twist this season. The chosen 28 players to compete will be drafted onto four teams coached by the 75th Anniversary Team members: Rick Barry, Gary Payton, Isiah Thomas, and James Worthy.

Comprising of 12 rookies, 12 sophomores, and four members of the NBA G League Ignite developmental squad makes up all the players.

The Rising Stars draft will consist of seven rounds, with the 24 NBA players selected in the first six rounds and the G League Ignite players going in the seventh.

The first round's order of selection will be determined by random drawing, with the pick order reversing in each subsequent round. Instead of the clock running out, each game will be played to a Final Target Score, with a made basket or free throw ending the match.

In celebration of the league's anniversary, it will be a "Race to 75." The first two games will be played until a team reaches 50 points, and the third game is until 25 points.

The All-Star Weekend will begin on February 18 with the Rising Stars Challenge. The All-Star Game will be staged on February 20, with the annual Saturday night activities, including the skills challenge, 3-point competition, and slam dunk contest, taking place the following night.

Additional Changes to NBA Rising Stars Challenge

In addition to the new format, the Clorox Clutch Challenge, a shooting competition, will be held prior to the final game.

The Rising Stars squads will be divided into two teams of eight players, each of whom will attempt to make five legendary shots from the NBA playoffs. The team that knocks down all five shots in the shortest time wins the shooting competition.

For the Rising Stars Challenge, this new format could provide a more exciting setting. It's often overlooked since it's the first game of All-Star Weekend. However, it appears that the league is attempting to pique interest, and it will be interesting to see how it unfolds.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: 2022 NBA Rising Stars Are Announced On TNT Tuesday - From NBA on TNT